Multiple speed bicycle



June 2, 1936. A. J. FEHL- MULTIPLE SPEED BICYCLE 2 sheets-sheet 1` Filed Jan. 25, 1955 Jig! INVENTOR AJ Pm:Y BY

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ATTORNEY June 2,v A. PEHL MULTIPLE SPEED BICYCLE Filed Jan. 23, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 n. NK

Nm nu www INVENTOR BY HPEQZ ATTORNEY Patented June 2, 1936 UNITE STATE PTEN'ED QFFC MULTIPLE SPEED BICYCLE Andrews. Pebl, seattle, wasn.

Application January 23, 1935, Serial No. 2,985

3 Claims. (Cl. 208-154) This invention relates to bicycles, and particularly to bicycles with a plurality of speeds.

In the operation of bicycles, especially in cities, and in hilly localities it is important that a bicycle should be driven at various speeds for safety and for climbing` hills. A low speed provides a high degree of power, and safety, while a higher speed is desirable on quiet streets, and on level country roads.

I0 Various attempts have been made to provide attachments for plural speeds for bicycles, generally by placing such attachments in direct or close connection with or on the driven axle, or between the wheel spokes. Such arrangements have been unsatifactory and often caused weakness and uncertainty in the wheel, and especially in the wheel hub operation.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a single device to be attached to the frame of any bicycle adjoining the crank shaft, with a plurality of gears of different sizes to be driven by the ordinary pedals and crank shaft. 'I'he diierent gears to be alternately, placed in mesh with an outer ring gear attached to the sprocket wheel used for driving the ordinary chain and rear wheel axle.

' A further object is to provide a holding plate, to be attached to the frame of the bicycle, on which plate is adjustably mounted a ring gear and sprocket wheel. Together with means for shifting the positions of the ring gear for throwing its teeth in mesh with pinion gears of different sizes, said latter gears slidably mounted on the crank shaft, to be driven by ordinary foot pedals.

With these and other objects, I have illustrated my invention by the accompanying drawings of which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary part of a bicycle showing the device mounted thereon,

Figure 2 is a section view upon line 2 2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a section view upon line 3-3 of Figure 2, showing the gears and driving ring in mesh position for highest speed,

Figure 4 is the same section as Figure 2 but with gears and ring in mesh for intermediate speed,

Figure 5 is an enlarged View of the holding plate,

Figure 6 is a detail view showing clamp attachments for holdingthe plate to the frame.

Like numerals on the different gures represent like parts.

Numeral I represents the frame posts ofany bicycle. 8 shows the ordinary housing for the crank bearing. I0 and II represent right and left crank arms. The foregoing parts are common to all bicycles. I2 represents a holding plate, for supporting a bearing ring 2| adjustably mounted thereon. The plate I2 is attached rigidly to the posts 1, by a spacing block I3, clamps I4 and bolts I5. 'I'he plate is provided with slots I6, I1 and I8. Slot I8 has notches I9 and 2D along one side thereof for a bolt 23 which supports a bearing ring 2| at different positions or elevations. The bolts 22, 23 and 24 are threaded into one side of the ring at their points, while their shanks are loosely positioned through the slots I6, I1 and I8 for shifting the ring gear where desired. The bolt 24 also serves as a pivot on which said ring is rocked when the bolt 23 is to lbe moved to and from either of the notches I9 and 20 for dierent positions of the bearing ring 2|. A sprocket wheel 25 is rotatably mounted around the ring 2| on bearing balls 26 which balls are positioned in a race groove provided on the inside of the sprocket, and around the perifery of the ring 2|. The sprocket carries the internal teeth 21 and forms a ring gear, to be driven by pinion gears 32, 33 and 34 of different sizes for diierent speeds. Said pinions are attached together forming a cone 3| which is slidably mounted on a squared section of the crank shaft 9. The cone is normally pressed inward toward the holding plate I2 and in alinement with the ring gear of the sprocket, by a spring 32a on shaft 9. A U-shaped spring 28 shown in Figure 5 is attached at one end of the head of sliding bolt 23, and the other end attached to the housing 8, by a spot weld or screw indicated as 28a and assists in the shifting and holding of the bolt 23, to the different positions in the slot I8. The extended shank 23a of bolt 23 is of triangular shape to t into the holding notches I9 or 20. A retractive spring 29 normally holds bolt 23 in one of said notches when shifted to either position. One end of spring 29 is attached to plate I2 by bolt 30, and the other end is ailixed through the head of said bolt 23.

In order to force the cone 3| and its pinions out of mesh with the ring gear and so permit the latter to be raised or lowered to a new position, an actuating plunger 35 is slidably mounted through a sleeve and the holding plate I2. One end of this plunger normally rides on the inside face of largest pinion 33, outside the teeth on pinion 34. A light coil spring 36 with bearing washer 31 and pin 38 holds the plunger in suitable position for use. The lower end 42 of a bell crank is positioned over the outer end of the or lowered by a shift rod Il, extended therefromup to and pivotally connected to one end 4l of a hand lever 4I. Said hand lever is mounted on a pivot 48 in plate 49 affixed to the upper bicycle frame 'l'. When the hand lever. is drawn backward by the rider for raising `the rod il, as described, a second shift rod I is pressed down from the back end ot the lever 45 for releasing the bolt 22 from one of the notches along` slot II. This permits a lowering or raising of the ring 2l together with the ring gear for meshing in a diilerent' pinion, for a dierent speed. Such releasing of bolt 2l is caused by yoke arm 52 on the lower end of rod 5|, and mounted over the head of bolt 22 and held by pin 54. The bolts 22, 2l and 24 are so loosely mounted in their respective slots as to permit sumcient lateral movement. This permits the disengagement of the shank 23a from the notches I9 and 20, when the yoke arms 52 press the bolt 22 against the opposite edge of slot i8. As before stated the bolt 24 serves as a pivot for sufllcient rocking ot the ring 2l to permit the shank 23a to be moved to and from the diierent notches. When v the lever 45 is moved forward the yoke 53 carries the bolt 22 back up again.

Having described my invention, I claim as new i'or patent protection: v

1. A bicycle for a plurality of speeds, comprising a bicycle with a squared crank shaft, a plurality oi' pinion gears of diiierent sizes slidably mounted on the shaft. a supporting plate attached to the frame of the bicycle, a bearing ring adiustahly connected to the plate. a sprocket wheel rotatably mounted on the bearing ring, in- 5 ternal teeth carried in the sprocket wheel adapted to mesh in the teeth of either one of said pinions, and means for shifting the position of the sprocket to bring said internal teeth in mesh with either of said pinions for different speeds. 2. A bicycle adapted for a plurality of speeds, comprising a squared crank shaft, driven in the usual manner, a cone with a plurality of pinion gears of diiferent diameters slidably mounted on the shaft, an internal ring gear adjustably mounted around said pinions -with teeth adapted to mesh in the teeth of any of said pinions, a spring around said shaft for pressing the pinions inward, a plunger adapted to compress said cone and pinions outward on said shaft and to dis- 90 engage the teeth of said pinions from the teeth of said ring gear, means forraising and lowering said ring gear when so disconnectedv to bring the same into alinement with the teeth of a different pinion, a lever on the top of the bicycle for man- 25 ual operation for shifting the position of said ring gear, and means for holding said sprocket and ring gear in the diil'erent positions for driving the wheels of the bicycle.

3. A bicycle adapted for a. plurality of speeds, comprising a bicycle with a squared crank shaft, a. cone carrying a plurality of pinion gears of different numbers of teeth slidably mounted on the shaft, a larger ball bearing ring gear encircling the cone, and adapted to be raised and lowered 5 to mesh in the teeth of the diierent pinions, means for maintaining the teeth of the pinions and ring gear in mesh, and means for shifting the position of the ring gear and pinions simultaneously while the bicycle Ais in motion for 40 changing the speed thereof.

ANDREW J. PEHL. 

